Zippered pouches for take-home gifts

For several days I've been trying to think of what to give the children at Caroline and Elizabeth's birthday party as a little take-home gift.  I usually try to have the gift be somewhat different than what is usually given at parties.

At 5:10 this morning I woke up knowing what to make.  I went online to youtube to find a video to remind me how to make little zippered pouches.  I've seen pictures of the ones both Leigh and Marcella have made, but it's been awhile and I needed a little refresher.

I dug through my stash, trying to find fabric that could be either feminine or masculine, since we have both boys and girls coming to the party.  Also, since tomorrow is Mother's Day, I figured even if the item seemed feminine, a boy could give it to a female family member tomorrow if he wanted to.

Years ago I inherited a bunch of zippers from my grandma's house, so I knew I could find zippers for all the bags I wanted to make.  Oops, this one from 1947 (it said so on the package) isn't actually a zipper.  It's a "slide fastener."

I made eight pouches in all.  Most of them are different from each other with different linings and zippers.  All but one zipper is metal, so they were a bit of a challenge when it came to turning the ends.  It already looks like the leopard print one with the orange zipper is the hot one.

Camp Laffalotta 2013

I'm tentatively dipping my toe in again this summer.  The girls are out of school and I want to give a little structure to the summer.  It works best for us to have our week go Thursday to Wednesday, so for this half week, we are doing some sewing.

Only Elizabeth has done any sewing, so they are making little pillows with funny faces on them.  I had some quilted material from the edges of my most recent quilt.  It was the extra fabric that extended past the edges of the top when it was machine quilted.  So the girls are using a lightly printed muslin with batting quilted to it--very nice, actually.

They got the basics of the faces hand-sewn on today.  Tomorrow they'll add the decorations such as fringe, "hair," bows, and so forth, then I'll show them how to use the sewing machine to sew on the backs.  A little stuffing from Elizabeth's Christmas sewing project and they'll each have a cute little pillow.

Elizabeth's sewing project

Elizabeth got the idea to make a rag doll and she has been surprisingly tenacious in her efforts!  I'm really pleased, as I've been known to sew a thing or two in my time as well.

She is using some fabric that was originally purchased to make a little set of overalls for David (he's 25 now . . . ) and I also used to make her a pioneer bonnet two summers ago.

The doll has a head, two arms, and one leg, some of which are pinned to the body already.  She's working on the last leg in this picture.  She is really happy with her efforts.

This is not the quilt top picture I thought I was going to post today

I finished the "medallion" (center) of the patriotic quilt a week or so ago, but needed to add a border of red, then a border of blue to complete the top.

My math skills were atrocious and I sewed pieces onto my border strips I didn't need, then had to tear out the seam or cut them off.  I will say I made all my precision cuts accurately though.  You know the old saying--Measure twice, cut once?  It is true and it works.  :-)

So here is the quilt top:

Why is it folded up for storage instead of being sandwiched with batting and a backing?

Why??

Because my 31 year old workhorse of a sewing machine is on the fritz!  The last time I used it I heard some alarming squeals from the wheel part on the right.  I opened it up and took a look around but you could put what I know about sewing machines in a thimble and still have room for your big toe.  I oiled it and closed it back up and it seemed to be working a little better.

Today it went back to its squeaks and squeals, then finally all but froze up.  I had about 2-1/2 feet left to sew of the final border piece, so I tried turning the wheel by hand, but it was almost impossible, so I gave up.

Tomorrow's duty is to take it to a repair shop. 

Here is the old girl in all her glory:

The Velveteen Rabbit

Caroline and Elizabeth's class is reading the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, so each child was encouraged to bring his or her favorite stuffed animal to school today. This is Caroline's Cuddles and after I took this picture she made Cuddles a new dress out of fabric left over from one of the girls' dresses. So today Cuddles and Caroline wore dresses made of the same fabric. They were very cute.

Elizabeth brought her brown stuffed dog named Brownie. Not as much affection was shown toward Brownie today as there was toward Cuddles.

Today we are taking down the tree

A few years ago one of my friends solved a very minor problem in my life. I had three graduation tassels and didn't really know what to do with them (NOT hang them from my rearview mirror!), but didn't want to throw them away. My friend put hers on her Christmas tree every year. I've been doing the same ever since. I think they look pretty, I know where they are, and for a couple of weeks each year I can prove I graduated from something.

One little story about the one on the left--I went to a four-year high school and my senior year, all three of the kids in my family were at the same school. At graduation time our school chose dark red "disposable" gowns (vs. rented), so, with an eye to the future, I bought mine a little long. Two years later my brother L wore my cap and gown, and a year later my brother M wore the same outfit. We all had the same tassel as well, but I ended up with it because it was for my graduation year. So this is really the "family tassel."

In the fall I saw an online "quilt-along" with instructions to make a Christmas tree skirt. I'd been using the same one for about 25 years and it was long over due to be replaced. It took me awhile to get started, but I made this tree skirt during the fall and had it under the tree before Christmas. I'd never pieced a quilt like this before and it was fun to see the design appear as I sewed pieces together.

My sewing cabinet

This cabinet was custom-made for me years ago and it holds all my sewing supplies and some craft supplies. The bottom drawers hold fabric, although I need another place to put it since I want to organize it better and add to my stash. Inside the double doors are drawers and shelves to hold patterns, notions, and craft supplies.

Two of my favorite features are a small ironing board that glides out of the table to the left of the sewing machine, and a clipboard clip on the door that I use to hold me sewing instructions up where I can see them when I sew.

Finished a Christmas project

My neighbor is always so nice to my girls and me that I wanted to make something for her 6 y/o ds with whom my girls love to play. I picked up the flannel fabric for this on the day after Thanksgiving and cut and sewed it over a week's time. I love how it turned out.